seven of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world are in africa. other countries still are engaged in doing everything they can to help their companies with contracts in that emerging market. other countries still are engaged in a very clear and relentless economic diplomacy. we should too and increasingly we are. and make no mistake, path there is a crucial strategic dimension to this development work as well. weak states represent some of our most significant threats. we have an interest in and strengthening them and building more capable partners that can tackle their own security problems at home and in their neighborhoods, and economics will always play a role in that. next, think about energy and climate change. managing the world's energy supplies in a way that minimizes conflict and supports economic growth while protecting the future of our planet is one of the greatest challenges of our time. so we are using both high-level international promising and grassroots partnerships to curb carbon emissions and other causes of climate change. we